Sulling apparatus



June 4, 1940. f J, L, SCHUELER 2,203,065

SULLING APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1938 I 70 84/(01/6 OVE/V 0l? IME 84 Th' ...numilll Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,203,065 SULLING APPARATUS Julian L. Schueler, Kokomo,

Continental Steel Corporation,

Ind., assignor to Kokomo, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Application April 18,

5 Claims.

In preparing rods or wires for drawing, it is necessary to remove the scale (iron oxide) acquired in the process of hot rolling. This is usually done by an acid pickling bath which removes the scale and leaves the surface of the wire very clean. In this condition, however, it is hard to draw. In order to lubricate the wire to cause it to pass more .easily through the die, it is often subjected to a process of sulling by which a coating of iron rust is formed on the freshly cleaned and washed surface of the wire. The thickness of this coating varies according to the desired use, and may range from a slightly greenish color to an extremely dark brown depending on the use to which the rod or wire is to be put. This rust covering acts as a lubricant carrier in the wire drawing process, and in many instances remains on the wire after drawing so as to form a sort of lubricant in cold heading or extrusion processes which may be laterperformed'on' the wire.

After the sulling operation, the wire is usually immediately dipped in to a lime solution which is then thoroughly baked on. There are two types of lime coating generally used--a light lime and a heavy lime, depending upon what is going to be done with the wire after it is drawn from the rod.

It is a primary object of this invention to improve the apparatus for sulling rods or wires preparatory to drawing whereby the sulling operation can be accelerated and be more readily controlled.

This and other objects, as will hereinafter appear, are accomplished lby my improved apparatus which is fully described in the following specification Aand shown in the accompanying drawing, in which through a sulling well embodying the present invention.

As illustrated, a sulling chamber, preferably in the form of a well I0, is provided with side walls II of any suitable material, asbrick or concrete, and equipped, if desired, with an insulating lining I2'.

The rod or wire W to be treated may come from a coil (not shown). It rst passes over a sheave I3 suitably mounted above the well, then proceeds downwardly into the well and around and under a sheave I4 which is pivotally mounted on a frame I5 suspended in the well by means of a rope I6 suitably carried by a hoist or other means for raising and lowering the frame in the well. The wire then passes up and over a sheave I1 which is mounted similarly to the sheave I3,

is shown a vertical section 1938, Serial No. 202,717

(Cl. 26S-3) and then proceeds on to a liming bath or baking oven (not shown).

Spraying nozzles I8 which are located near the top of the well are adapted to spray either water or steam on the descending and ascending wires at this point. A series of coils I9 may be lled with steam to produce a higher temperature in the well or they may carry water Aor a cooled brine or the like to produce a lower temperature. By these means the vtemperature in the well may be varied through a considerable range and may be held at any predetermined point within this range to produce a desired result.

Circulation of the gases and vapors within the well is obtained by means of a pipe 2l! which may, if desired, be connected to a motor-driven fan 2l. This fan is adapted to deliver the vapors and gases to the atmosphere or it may return them to another part of the well. A drain 22 serves to carry off any excess moisture collecting in the bottom of the well.

It will be understood that the length of the well may be such as to accommodate a great many such wires traveling side by side, the direction of movement of each and the operating parts therefor being the same as already described. The well may be sufliciently deep to produce the desired amount of sull which will vary due to many factors such as the kind and size of the wire to be treated, the speed with which it is run through the apparatus, etc.

Rods and wires of different sizes, material, and

. composition may be treated concurrently in the same well while running at the same or different speeds. Under these conditions, there may be considerable differences in the length of travel required for different wires. This apparatus lends itself readily to variations of this kind which are accomplished by adjusting the length and time of the wire travel through the well by raising and lowering the various sheaves IA. Thus, the sull deposited upon the wire may vary from a'slight greenish color to an extremely dark brown color. Y

While the width of the well may be quite narrow, it may yhave considerable length depending upon the number of4 strands of rod or wire to be treated. It will also have very considerable depth in order to provide means for giving the wire a long sulling operation, Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a very compact form of sulling well and that this long sulling operation is accomplished at the expense of a minimum amount of floor space.

It will be understood that the word wire as used herein is intended to include both rods and wires of various gauges and forms.

I claim:

1. A sulling well comprising side walls, spaced sheaves near the top of the well, a frame between the sheaves and under the third sheave and over the other upper sheave, and means for producing a suliing atmosphere in the well as a strand of iron or steel wire is run continuously therethrough.

2. A sulling well comprising side walls, spaced sheaves near the top of the well, a frame between the sheaves and having at its lower end sheave, means for raising and lowering said frame and the third sheave to vary the length of wire in the well, and means for producing av sulling atmosphere in the well as a strand of wire is run continuously therethrough.

3. A suliing wel] comprising side walls, spaced under the third sheave and over the other upper sheave, means for producing a sulling atmosphere in the well, and means for producing circulation of the atmosphere in the well.

4. A sulling well comprising sidewalls, spaced sheaves near the top of the well, a frame between the sheaves ing moisture on the wire in the well, and means for heating the atmosphere in the well.

5. A sulling well comprising side Walls, spaced sheaves near the top of the well, a frame between the sheaves and having at its lower end a third sheave whereby a strand of Wire can be thermal condition in the well,

JULIAN L. SCHUELER. 

